Kalanchoe plant named &#39;LAUREEN&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata  interspecific hybrid plant named ‘LAUREEN’ characterized by a large number of petals per flower resulting in a double-type or multi-petalled trait; the large size of petals resulting in a large flower; a unique soft pink color with a touch of yellow; and a large number of flowers per plant.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘LAUREEN’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata hybrid, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘LAUREEN’. As used herein, “interspecific hybrid” includes the progeny from the cross of two different species of Kalanchoe, as well as, the progeny resulting from subsequent backcrossing to one of the parents.

The genus of Kalanchoe belongs to the sedum family (Crassulaceae). There are more than 100 different species of Kalanchoe, of which more than 60 are found growing wild on Madagascar, many in South Africa and a few in Asia and South America. Kalanchoe belongs to the succulent plants, which are characterized by watery leaves. The leaves enable them to withstand drought in nature or on the windowsill for a longer time than most other plants, and this allows for a supreme longevity.

The new Kalanchoe cultivar is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventors, Knud Jepsen and Ellen Christensen, in Hinnerup, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Kalanchoe cultivars with large flowers, numerous petals per flower, attractive flower coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Kalanchoe cultivar originated from a cross made in a controlled breeding program by the Inventors in Hinnerup, Denmark. The female parent, designated K. blossfeldiana cultivar ‘Leonardo’, is described in pending U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,365, and having the multi-petalled double-type flower characteristic. The male parent, designated K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid ‘KJ 1998-469’, unpatented, having very large single-type flowers. The new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘LAUREEN’ was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Hinnerup, Denmark.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative terminal cuttings was first performed in March of 2004, in Hinnerup, Denmark, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type through asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘LAUREEN’ which in combination distinguish this Kalanchoe as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. a large number of petals per flower resulting in a         double-type or multi-petalled trait;     -   2. the large size of petals resulting in a large flower;     -   3. a unique soft pink color with a touch of yellow; and     -   4. a large number of flowers per plant.

Table 1 provides a comparison among plants of ‘LAUREEN’ and plants of the parents, K. blossfeldiana cultivar ‘Leonardo’ and K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid ‘KJ 1998-469’: TABLE 1 Female Parent ‘Leonardo’ Male Parent New Cultivar (patented, ‘KJ 1998 469’ Trait ‘LAUREEN’ PP13,365) (unpatented) Height of Is about 27 cm Is about 30 cm Is about 33 cm cultivar Flower Type Double-type Double-type Single-type Flower Dia- 22-25 mm 15-17 mm 20-25 mm meter Flower number 300-350 250-300 350-400 Number of Between 30-38 Between 18-25 4 petals Corolla Lobes full or partial full or partials petals. petals Corolla Color- Red-purple. Red-purple. Red-purple. ation Summer color- RHS N74 A with RHS 68 B with ation: RHS 61 B one very thin many fine and turn to 67 C longitudinal line longitudinal lines after some days. from apex to base RHS 62 D. The Winter coloration: (1 mm) RHS 72 border of the RHS N66 A. B. corolla is 62 D. Shape of petal Broadly elliptic Elliptic petals. Broadly elliptic petals. The width The width of the petals. The width of the petal is 7 petal is 4 mm and of the petal is mm and the the length is 7 8 mm and the length is 9 mm. mm. The shape of length is 12 The shape of the the apex is mm. The shape of apex is cuspidate cuspidate with the apex is with entire entire margin. cuspidate with margin. entire margin. Leaf Ovate leaves with Ovate leaves with Elliptic leaves medium petiole. medium petiole. with long petiole. The apex is The apex is ob- The apex is rounded and tuse and the rounded and the the base is round- base is rounded base is obtuse. ed. Leaf texture The texture of the The texture of the The texture of the leaf is glabrous leaf is glabrous leaf is glabrous and shinning. and shinning. and shinning.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present Inventors, the most similar in comparison to ‘LAUREEN’ is Kalanchoe cultivar ‘KJ 2002 0504’. Comparing these two cultivars, besides the petal color being a different pink shade, the main distinction is that plants of ‘LAUREEN’ have large sized petals resulting in large flowers which have a very harmonic symmetry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic drawings illustrate the overall appearance of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘LAUREEN’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color value cited in the botanical description which accurately describe the color of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘LAUREEN’.

The first photograph shows a top perspective view of a typical potted flowering plant of ‘LAUREEN’, 19 weeks after planting of cutting. The second photograph shows a side perspective view of a typical potted flowering plant of ‘LAUREEN’, 19 weeks after planting of cutting. The third photograph shows the following typical plant parts of ‘LAUREEN’: A. Inflorescence; B. Inside a flower; C. Flower bud, site; D. Flower; E. Flower bud, top; F. Petal; G. Pistil; H. Sepal; I. Mature leaf; J. Young leaf.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘LAUREEN’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe the new Kalanchoe cultivar as grown in a greenhouse in Hinnerup, Denmark, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in greenhouse at 64.4° F. at daytime and 68° F. during night. The cultivar was produced in a 10.5 cm pot. The cuttings were grown in a long day for the first 5 weeks. From week 6 after planting and onwards, the cultivar was grown in short day conditions (10 hours light and 14 hours darkness). After 18 weeks in total, the cultivar would be ready for sale. The cultivar was grown under natural light conditions supplemented with 70 μmol/m²/s SON-T light when the natural light was less than 100 μmol/m²/s. At a short day, the flowering was induced. The reaction time from day of induction to day of first opened flower was 68 days. The peat based soil mix was watered with a solution containing 200 parts per million (ppm) nitrogen, 200 ppm potassium, 40 ppm phosphorous, 200 ppm calcium, 40 ppm magnesium, 60 ppm sulphate, 1 ppm iron, 0.6 ppm manganese, 0.1 ppm copper, 0.1 ppm zink, 0.3 ppm borium, and 0.03 ppm molybdenum.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS), published 2001, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions at approximately 12 a.m. in a greenhouse in Hinnerup, Denmark. The age of the plant described is 19 weeks (from the time the cutting was planted in growth medium to when the picture was taken).

-   Parentage:     -   -   Male or pollen parent.—K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata             interspecific hybrid ‘KJ 1998 469’.         -   Female or seed parent.—K. blossfeldiana cultivar ‘Leonardo’             (disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,365). -   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific             hybrid cultivar ‘LAUREEN’. -   Propagation.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.     -   -   Rooting habit.—The cultivar has numerous, branched, fine and             fibrous roots.         -   Time to initiate roots.—It takes between 1 and 2 weeks to             initiate roots.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—It will take 3 weeks to             produce a well rooted cutting. In winter time, it can take             on week more. -   Plant: If the plants are grown according to the description above,     it will perform as described below. Variation from this should be     expected over the course of the year, and if the physical growing     conditions varies from the description.     -   -   Growth habit.—This cultivar is upright and uniform. The             flowers are formed above the top of the leaf canopy, but the             flowers will also appear between the leaves. The flowers are             assembled in numerous compound inflorescences. ‘LAUREEN’ is             freely flowering with numerous compound cymes.         -   Growth rate.—Ready for sale after 18 weeks.         -   Branching habit and description.—Freely branching; typically             8 to 10 lateral branches develop per plant. Pinching             (removal of the terminal apex) is not mandatory, but will             enhance lateral branching. When grown in 10.5 cm pots the             cultivar is normally not pinched.         -   Height at flowering.—The height of the cultivar is about 27             cm from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant,             depending on the growth conditions.         -   Spread/diameter at flowering.—The diameter of the cultivar             at flowering is from leaf tip to leaf tip about 31 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Appearance.—The cultivar has around 8 stems with none, one             or numerous leaf pairs on the stem. The inflorescence on the             top of the flower stem is branched giving an inverted             triangle with a rounded crown. Each branch has between 20             and 40 flowers.         -   Aspect.—The stem is strong.         -   Length.—The length varies from 10 to 16 cm depending on             growth conditions.         -   Texture.—The texture of the stem is glabrous and shinning.         -   Color.—The color of the stem is yellow-green, RHS 146 A. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—The foliage is yellow-green with the same color             of the immature as well as the mature leaf, RHS 147 A. The             majority of the leaves are at the base of the plant, but             immature leaves appear also on the flowering stem.         -   Overall shape of leaf.—The leaves are defined as ovate with             medium petiole.         -   Apex.—The form of the apex is rounded.         -   Base.—The form of the base is rounded.         -   Length.—The length of the foliage varies from 3.5 cm for an             immature leaf to 11 cm for a mature leaf.         -   Width.—The width varies from 2 cm for an immature leaf to             6.5 cm for a mature leaf.         -   Margin.—The foliage has a crenate margin.         -   Texture.—The foliage is glabrous and shinning.         -   Color of upper surface.—Mature leaf: The color of the mature             leaf is a yellow-green color, and is closely described with             RHS 147 A. Immature leaf: The immature leaf is a             yellow-green color, and is closely described with RHS 147 A.         -   Color of lower surface.—Mature leaf: The color of the lower             surface is yellow-green color, and is closely described with             RHS 147 B. Immature leaf: The immature leaf is a             yellow-green color, and is closely described with RHS 147 B.         -   Venation color.—Upper surface: No difference between the             color of venation and the rest of the leaf. Lower surface:             No difference between the color of venation and the rest of             the leaf.         -   Petiole.—Length: The length of the petiole varies between an             immature and mature leaf. The length of an immature leaf is             about 0.5 cm. The length of a mature leaf is about 2.5 cm.             Diameter: The diameter of the petiole varies between an             immature and mature leaf. The diameter of an immature leaf             is 4 mm. The diameter of a mature leaf is 7 mm. Color:             Yellow-green, RHS 147 B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—The flower is a double-type with up             to 38 petals per flower. The average number of petals per             flower is 30.         -   Natural flowering season.—The flowering season is year             round, when grown according to description above. When             planting outside the flowering season will be in the summer             (April to October), depending on local climatic conditions.         -   Time to flower.—The time from start of short day treatment             to 1^(st) flower is about 68 days, approximately 1 week             longer in winter time.         -   Flowering stem length.—The length of the flowering stem is             ranging from 11 to 15 cm depending on the growth conditions.         -   Post production longevity.—‘LAUREEN’ maintain good leaf and             flower substance for at least 6 weeks under interior             environmental conditions.         -   Winter hardiness/weather tolerance.—‘LAUREEN’ withstands             wind, rain and direct sunlight, and can cope with             temperatures between 40 and 95 degrees F.         -   Fragrance.—‘LAUREEN’ has no fragrance.         -   Flower size.—The diameter of the flower range from 22 to 25             mm.         -   Overall shape.—The shape is rose-like shape, defined by at             least 5 petals per flower.         -   Quantity.—‘LAUREEN’ produces a large number of flower             ranging from 300 to 350 flowers per plant. -   Bud:     -   -   Rate of opening.—From the time when the bud is showing             color, the flower will open within 10 days.         -   Color.—The color of the bud is yellow-green, RHS 144 B, with             a touch of red-purple, RHS 58 A.         -   Shape.—The shape of the bud is ellipsoidal with the smallest             diameter toward the base.         -   Length.—The length of the bud is about 1,2 cm.         -   Diameter.—The diameter of the bud is about 5 mm at the base             and about 8 mm at the top. -   Petal:     -   -   Quantity.—Typically 30-38 petals fused at the base.         -   Shape.—The shape of petal is broadly elliptic.         -   Length.—The length is about 9 mm.         -   Width.—The width is about 7 mm.         -   Apex.—The shape of the apex is cuspidate.         -   Margin.—The shape of the margin can be described as entire.         -   Texture.—The texture of the petals is soft, smooth and mat.         -   Color when opening.—The coloration of the upper surface of             ‘LAUREEN’ changes over the year. During summer time the             colors are more intense and warm, whereas the winter colors             are dustier. Summer time: Upper surface: The upper surface             of the petal has a deep, warm red-purple color, RHS 61 B,             and turn after some days to RHS 67 C. Lower surface: The             lower surface of the petal is red-purple, RHS 65 C with a             touch of RHS 167 C. Winter time: Upper surface: The upper             surface of the petal is deep, warm red-purple, RHS N66 A.             Lower surface: The lower surface of the petal is red-purple,             RHS 65 C with a touch of RHS 167 C.         -   Color when fully open.—Upper surface: The upper surface of             the petal is red-purple, RHS N66 A. Lower surface: The lower             surface the petal is red-purple, RHS 65 C with a touch of             RHS 67 C. -   Sepal:     -   -   Quantity.—Typically 4 fused or non-fused at based.         -   Shape.—The shape of sepal is lanceolate.         -   Length.—The length is 6 mm.         -   Width.—The width is 2 mm.         -   Apex.—The shape of the apex is acute.         -   Margin.—The shape of the margin is entire.         -   Texture.—The texture of the sepals is shinning and glabrous.         -   Color when opening.—Upper surface: The upper surface of the             sepal is green, RHS 143 B. Lower surface: The lower surface             of the sepal is green, RHS 143 B.         -   Color when fully open.—Upper surface: The upper surface of             the sepal is green, RHS 143 B. Lower surface: The lower             surface the sepal is green, RHS 143B.         -   Peduncle description.—Length: Every flower has a peduncle             with a length of 5 mm. Color: The peduncle is yellow-green,             RHS 147 B. Texture: The peduncle is glaborous and shinning. -   Reproductive organs: -   Androecium:     -   -   Stamen.—Number: The flower has between 3 and 8 stamens.             Color: The color of the stamens is greyed-orange, RHS 177 B.         -   Anthers.—Number: The number of anthers is between 3 and 8.             Size: The size is 1 mm in length. Color: The color of the             anthers is yellow-orange, RHS 16 B.         -   Filament color.—The color of the filament is yellow-green,             RHS 145 C.         -   Pollen color.—The color of the pollen is yellow-green, RHS             15 C.         -   Pollen amount.—A small amount of pollen with a medium pollen             fertility of 50%, depending on the time of year. -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil.—Number: The number of pistils is 4.         -   Stigma.—Shape: The shape of stigma is round. Color: The             color of the stigma is yellow-green, RHS 145 A.         -   Style.—Shape: The shape of the style is thin and             cylindrical. Color: The color of style is green, RHS 138 A.         -   Ovary.—Color: The color of ovary is green, RHS 137 C. -   Seeds: Number: Between 20 and 25 potential seeds per ovary. Width:     The width of the seeds is less than 0.5 mm. Length: The length of     the seeds is less than 1 mm. Shape: The shape of the seeds is     ellipsoidal. Color: The color of the potential seeds is     yellow-green, RHS 145 B. -   Fruit (Ovary): Shape: The shape of the fruit is cylindrical. Width:     The width of the fruit is 3 mm. Length: The length of the fruit is     5 mm. Color: The color of the fruit is yellow-green, RHS 145 A. -   Disease resistance/susceptibility: No information on disease     resistance or susceptibility is currently available. -   Pest resistance/susceptibility: No information on disease resistance     or susceptibility is currently available. 

1. A new and distinct K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata. interspecific hybrid plant named ‘LAUREEN’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 